Medicine with Foundation Year MBChB

Medicine with Foundation Year MBChB,
6 years

Medicine degrees aren’t easy to get into. But this doesn’t mean becoming a doctor is out of the question. If it looks like you won’t meet the entry requirements to study medicine at Leicester, this Foundation Year degree is your path to making it happen.

Course description

Course description

The MBChB with Foundation Year is aimed at students who wish to study Medicine at the University of Leicester, but whose background makes it less likely that they will be able to meet the entry requirements for our standard five-year MBChB.

Our integrated Foundation Year is taught alongside Biological Science students but also includes elements specific to Medicine

Successful completion of the integrated Foundation Year at the required level will enable you to progress onto the first year of the MBChB course

You will be taught by expert academic staff from across the College of Life Sciences

The course strongly emphasises the development of the study skills that will be necessary for success in your undergraduate studies and beyond

During your Foundation Year you will join our student community and be able to enjoy all aspects of the University of Leicester student experience. You will be able to join the Students’ Union, use our academic and leisure facilities, live in our accommodation and access all of our support services

You will have a personal tutor to support you and will have access to our dedicated Pastoral Support Unit

Application date

Medical degrees have a UCAS application deadline of 15 October, three months ahead of most other courses.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

There will be 35 places available. Up to 25 places are open for students who have been resident in the East Midlands while studying A-levels or BTEC. A further 10 places will be available for students applying from anywhere within the UK.

Academic requirements

A-levels: BBB including Chemistry and Biology

GCSEs: Grade C or 5 in English Language, Maths, and two sciences, including Chemistry, or Double Science

International Baccalaureate: Pass diploma with at least 32 points overall, including three Higher Level subjects (including Chemistry and Biology), and three Standard Level subjects. Each subject must be passed with a minimum of five points. We do not consider bonus points

BTEC National Extended Diploma: DDD in Applied Science

Selection process

All candidates are required to take the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT).

You will be assigned a score based on your GCSE grades (plus confirmed A-levels where applicable) and your UCAT result. Applications will be ranked and the highest scoring candidates will be invited for multiple mini interviews.

English Language Requirements

IELTS 7.5 with at least 7.0 in each component. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.

Fees and funding

Fees and funding

UK and EU Students

Starting in 2019

£9,250 in your first year. Tuition fees are subject to government regulations and may change in future years

Additional costs

In your first year you will be given an iPad Air which is included in your tuition fee.

You will need the following, which are not included in your tuition fee:

DBS check (£62)

Stethoscope (£70-£120)

You may also wish to buy a padlock for a locker (£5-£20).

International Students

This course is only available to students living in the UK.

Accreditation

Accreditation

The Education Committee of the General Medical Council has approved the Leicester curriculum. Graduation will make you eligible for provisional registration as a doctor.

What's in a name?

Confusingly, there is no consistent name in the UK for a medical degree. At Leicester we use MBChB; other British universities will award you an MBBCh, BMBCh, MBBS, BMBS etc. Each of these is a primary medical qualification (PMQ), equivalent to the American MD (but not the British MD, which is a medical research degree similar to a PhD).

Careers and employability

Careers and employability

At the end of the undergraduate course you will receive your MBChB degree, which is a primary medical qualification (PMQ). Holding a PMQ entitles you to a provisional registration with the General Medical Council. Provisionally registered doctors can only practise in approved Foundation Year 1 posts: the law does not allow provisionally registered doctors to undertake any other type of work.

To obtain a Foundation Year 1 post you will need to apply during the final year of your undergraduate course through the UK Foundation Programme Office selection scheme, which allocates these posts to graduates on a competitive basis. So far, all suitably qualified UK graduates have found a place on the Foundation Year 1 programme, but this cannot be guaranteed, for instance if there were to be an excessive number of competitive applications from non-UK graduates.

Successful completion of the Foundation Year 1 programme is normally achieved within 12 months and is marked by the award of a Certificate of Experience. You will then be eligible to apply for full registration with the General Medical Council. You need full registration with a licence to practise for unsupervised medical practice in the NHS or private practice.

Medical Licensing Assessment

The GMC has decided to introduce a Medical Licensing Assessment – the MLA - from 2022 to demonstrate that those who obtain registration with a licence to practise medicine in the UK meet a common threshold for safe practice. Applicants should be aware that to obtain registration with a licence to practise, medical students will need to pass both parts of the MLA, pass university finals and demonstrate their fitness to practise.

The MLA will be in two parts: there will be a knowledge test, which will be set and run by the GMC, and an assessment, delivered by medical schools, that will evaluate students’ clinical and professional skills.

Our Career Development Service is here to support you, with advice on interviews, CVs, work experience, volunteering and more. From Freshers’ Week to Graduation and beyond, they are here to help you reach your professional goals.

Course structure

Foundation Year

Foundation Year

Modules

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Phase 1: Laying the foundation

Phase 1: Laying the foundation

Phase 1 lasts two years. You will take a series of integrated, interdisciplinary modules related to human structure and function in health and disease. You will also undertake community attachments to illustrate the social and psychological context of medicine. Theoretical study of social and behavioural science supplements this learning in the community.

By the end of Phase 1 you will:

Be able to communicate with patients and examine them clinically

Have a good understanding of the structure and function of the human body and how this relates to health and illness

Appreciate the psychological and social context of health and illness

Knowledge and Skills

The learning in Phase 1 provides you with essential knowledge and skills that will underpin your clinical practice throughout life. You will learn skills of professional communication and physical examination by working first with 'simulated patients' – actors trained to help you learn, and other volunteers. Very soon you will begin working on hospital wards with real patients. You must pass a formal clinical examination at the end of Phase 1 to demonstrate that you have the basic clinical skills necessary for the clinical phases.

Understanding People

You will learn how the human body is put together, and how it works in health and illness, but you will also come to understand that patients are not just the illnesses they suffer from. They have social and psychological dimensions to their lives that affect how they become ill, how they react to illness, and the consequences of illness for them. Learning about social and behavioural medicine will help you to understand the whole person in the context of health care. Early patient contact will help you to understand these issues.

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Phase 2: years 3-5

Phase 2: years 3-5

We believe that the best way to learn medicine is to work with practising doctors. You will spend virtually all of your time in Phase 2 working full-time in clinical environments. Working with medical staff in hospitals and the community is the best way to apply your knowledge, gain experience and learn more. In each placement you will be part of a team caring for patients – the range of patients and illnesses you see will reflect the demands on doctors, preparing you for the working environment after you qualify. We have placements in various hospitals in the city, county and region, as well as community attachments. This means you will experience a diverse range of environments, colleagues and patients.

In year 3 you will have longer apprentice style placements in medicine, surgery and general practice, learning from experts in hospital or GP practices. Year 4 focuses on specialty blocks such as Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Child Health, Cancer Care and Psychiatry. In year 5 you will have time for an extended foundation assistantships designed to fully prepare you for work as a foundation doctor. Learning in each placement will include structured activities, procedural training, and simulation experience. Your learning will be guided by workbooks and led by experienced clinical teachers.

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Why Leicester

The course is patient-focused and integrated so that all learning takes place in a clinical context.

You will be given an iPad when you start which you will use daily in lectures and group work.

Throughout the course you will learn from expert academics and medical practitioners working at the sharp end of the NHS. Their teaching is directly influenced by their expertise in such diverse fields as heart disease, cancer and genetics – some of the areas where Leicester's reputation is truly global.

You will benefit from our excellent dedicated facilities, including a large dissecting room where anatomy is taught using real cadavers.